Chassis for use in fanless and fan-cooled devices

Abstract

A chassis is provided for supporting electronic device circuitry. The chassis includes a mounting surface on a first side of the chassis and a cooling surface on a second side of the chassis opposite the mounting surface. The cooling surface has a plurality of fin fixation connectors for fixing cooling fins to the cooling surface. The chassis also has at least one fan connector for fixing a fan assembly at or adjacent the cooling surface. Also provided is a chassis system for electronic device circuitry. Such a system can be used in a fanless configuration and a fan-cooled configuration. In addition to the chassis, the system includes a first set of fins having a first length and a first depth and a second set of fins having a second length and a second depth smaller than the first depth. The system also includes a fan assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chassis for electronic device circuitry, the chassis comprising:
 a mounting surface on a first side of the chassis;   a cooling surface on a second side of the chassis opposite the mounting surface, the cooling surface having a plurality of fin fixation connectors for fixing cooling fins to the cooling surface;   at least one fan connector for fixing a fan assembly at or adjacent the cooling surface.   
     
     
         2 . The chassis of  claim 1  further comprising a selected plurality of fins, wherein the selected plurality of fins is one of a plurality of fanless fins and a plurality of fan-cooled fins. 
     
     
         3 . The chassis of  claim 2  further comprising a fan assembly fixed to the at least one fan connector, and wherein the selected plurality of fins is the plurality of fan-cooled fins. 
     
     
         4 . The chassis of  claim 3  wherein the fan assembly is a fan tray comprising a plurality of fans, and wherein when fixed to the at least one fan connector, the plurality of fans are arrayed across a width of the chassis. 
     
     
         5 . The chassis of  claim 2  wherein each fin of the plurality of fanless fins has a first length and a first depth, and wherein each fin of the plurality of fan-cooled fins has a second length and a second depth, and wherein the first length is the same as the second length and the first depth is larger than the second depth. 
     
     
         6 . The chassis of  claim 5  wherein each of the fin fixation connectors runs from a first end of the cooling surface to a second end of the cooling surface, and wherein the fan connector is adjacent the first end of the cooling surface. 
     
     
         7 . The chassis of  claim 6  wherein each of the fin fixation connectors is a groove. 
     
     
         8 . The chassis of  claim 7  wherein during assembly each of the selected plurality of fins is permanently bonded to the corresponding grooves. 
     
     
         9 . The chassis of  claim 7  wherein during assembly fins of the selected plurality of fins are permanently bonded to every other groove. 
     
     
         10 . The chassis of  claim 5  further comprising an integrated mounting structure, wherein the integrated mounting structure extends from the cooling surface by at least the first depth. 
     
     
         11 . The chassis of  claim 10  further comprising a rear baffle, and wherein when the selected plurality of fins is the plurality of fan-cooled fins, the rear baffle is retained on the integrated mounting structure and the fan assembly is fixed to the at least one fan connector. 
     
     
         12 . The chassis of  claim 1 , wherein each of the fin fixation connectors is an engagement pin. 
     
     
         13 . The chassis of  claim 1 , wherein the fin fixation connectors work in concert with retaining strips for retaining the cooling fins relative to the cooling surface. 
     
     
         14 . A chassis system for electronic device circuitry comprising:
 a chassis for the electronic device circuitry comprising:
 a mounting surface on a first side of the chassis for mounting electronics; 
 a cooling surface on a second side of the chassis opposite the mounting surface, the cooling side having a plurality of fin fixation connectors for fixing cooling fins to the cooling surface; and 
 at least one fan connector at or adjacent the cooling surface; 
   a first plurality of fins having a first length and a first depth;   a second plurality of fins having a second length and a second depth smaller than the first depth; and   a fan assembly,   wherein in a first configuration, fins of the first plurality of fins are fixed to the plurality of fin fixation connectors and the fan assembly is not attached to the chassis and in a second configuration, fins of the second plurality of fins are fixed to the plurality of fin fixation connectors and the fan assembly is fixed to the at least one fan connector.   
     
     
         15 . The chassis system of  claim 14  wherein the first length is the same as the second length, and wherein the first length is substantially similar to a length of the cooling surface, and wherein the fin fixation connectors run along the length of the cooling surface, and wherein the at least one fan connector is adjacent a first end of the length of the cooling surface. 
     
     
         16 . The chassis system of  claim 15  wherein each fin fixation connector is a groove in the cooling surface. 
     
     
         17 . The chassis system of  claim 16 , wherein during assembly one of the first plurality of fins and the second plurality of fins is selected, and the selected plurality of fins is permanently bonded to the corresponding grooves. 
     
     
         18 . The chassis system of  claim 14  wherein the chassis for the electronic device circuitry further comprises an integrated mounting structure extending from the cooling surface by at least the first depth, the chassis system further comprising a rear baffle, and wherein the rear baffle is retained on the integrated mounting structure in the second configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The chassis system of  claim 14  wherein the plurality of fin fixation connectors are engagement pins. 
     
     
         20 . The chassis of  claim 14 , wherein the fin fixation connectors work in concert with retaining strips for retaining the selected plurality of fins relative to the cooling surface.